Oh, the joy of online dating. The wonderful world of the internet and all its secret entertainment outlets. 

Whether one has caught themselves making a Tinder profile or even attempting to find “the one” via farmersonly.com, it’s OK. In fact, it’s completely acceptable nowadays!

 Some get caught up in the idea about their parents finding out that they met their significant other on Tinder. They might not want others to judge them for finding love online. Another thing is that many people, especially college students, use dating apps purely as a confidence booster and have no intent of finding a lasting relationship.

 The way Tinder works is that it sets up a profile linked to one’s Facebook account and a person of one’s specified gender can either “x” (dislike) or “heart” (like) other people on the app. Naturally, if someone is liked by someone whether online or not, they are going to feel at least a little bit better about themselves.

 So, if one is looking for a notification to wake up to like, “Congratulations! You have a new match,” to replace the lack of good morning text messages they are receiving–they should join Tinder.

 Although, some students do have the same perception of online dating that one’s mom may have. 

First year student Sam Deutsch believes, “Online dating is for people that are older, like in their 30’s, not for college students.” 

Unlike the typical college student being on a dating app, most 30 year olds are using online dating to find a potential spouse.

 Vicki Folkerts, a mother in the Brookings community said, “For people to meet other people with similar likes, dislikes and goals, social media offers a more direct path to this type of information in others.”

This is living proof that not every mother assumes online dating to be negative and provides a wealth of insight. A relationship usually begins by common interests and since most online dating sites do ask a user to include a biography, one is more likely to want to talk to someone who appreciates the same things they do.

 Maybe one has found their perfect match, the person that is their other half and makes them whole. They could meet someone they cannot fathom life without, but they are insecure about the fact that they did not meet them in the traditional way. They may not want to lie to their parents and admit that it was not as romantic as the first time they met. Everyone wants to have a cute love story that they can tell their grandchildren one day, but instead, all they will have is, “I thought their profile picture was cute.”

 I’m no expert, but I think if this person makes one’s heart skip a beat and gives them sweaty palms like they’re at the middle school dance again, then who really cares how they met? Those who care about their family and friends won’t judge them or the situation because they’ll see that same glow on their loved one’s face that they also once had.

 If anyone is feeling a little apprehensive about making that online profile, I say go for it. Whether it’s serious or not, make someone else’s day by sending a “like” their way, and who knows, it could lead to something more.

 

Lauren Kremer is an HDFS major at SDSU and can be reached at [email protected].